Quarter-on-quarter, Radio 1’s Q1 audience fell by 460,000 in the first three months of 2017.

In Q4 last year, the station’s Rajar number stood at 9.56m people – its lowest last-quarter tally since 2003.

Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper defended the latest performance saying: “You can’t judge Radio 1 on RAJAR figures alone – just as you can’t judge a newspaper solely on physical sales – you have to take into account our digital innovations as well.”

There was better news for the BBC elsewhere in Q1 this year.

According to Rajar, BBC 6 Music posted its biggest ever weekly audience in the period with 2.35m.

Paul Rodgers, Head of 6 Music said: “It’s great to see this record breaking quarter as evidence of the continued and growing appetite for 6 Music with listeners, who are clearly choosing a station which puts brilliant music at the heart of its offer.”

Overall, according to Rajar, average UK weekly radio listenership grew slightly in Q1, up to 48,232 people – up by 409 on the equivalent period of 2016.Music Business Worldwide